If you've been following along lately, you know how much I am enjoying our stay in Birmingham.

Although the particular RV site that I'm on is quite close to the neighbor on the one side of me, I am pleased with the friendly attitudes of most of the people in the campground.

(Just to illustrate how close my RV is to the one beside us, here is a photo:)

Now, going back to the friendly attitude of the PEOPLE in the campground. My neighbor, Phyllis is one of the nicest ladies I have met thus far in Birmingham. (She does not live in the RV that is close quarters to mine.)

For example, Phyllis has a mini-garden of sorts between her RV and mine. She's growing squash, lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers and sunflowers. Already she has offered to give us some of the fruits of her labors when they bloom.

Phyllis and I can talk for hours about everything and about nothing. This may not seem odd because we're women, but add to the mix that she's 53 and I am 29 and then you see my point.

One afternoon she was cooking a pork tenderloin and mentioned something to me about the different parts of the pig. I must have looked at her a bit quizzically because she asked me if I knew what she was talking about. I honestly did not. She looked at me a little funny until I explained to her that I'm a vegetarian.

Then she began to apologize to me for having meat in her electric skillet. I told her that there was no need to apologize. I explained that I am not offended in the least. I also had to go into a lengthy almost dissertation as to how I realize that being vegetarian is not for everyone and that I am not a radical about it. I will not throw blood or paint onto anyone and I certainly don't go around trying to "convert" anyone to my line of thinking. I am vegetarian firstly because of the health benefits. I do care about how animals are treated especially ones who are being raised for consumption.

I do wish, however that cows weren't pumped full of hormones and chemicals and I wish that chickens had more sanitary living conditions for those in the world who choose to eat meat. In other words, my dream would be for all meat that is raised for consumption would be completely organic.

{Stepping down off my soapbox.}

I thought that by explaining all of this to her she'd stop apologizing to me for eating meat.

Nope.

Two days later she accompanied me to Super Target. She headed over to the meat department and picked up a package of ground hamburger. At first she said, "Don't look at my meat," and would not put it into the same cart with my groceries. I told her, "Phyllis, you DO NOT have to apologize for eating meat to me. I am not offended. You can put the package into the cart." At first she declined until I practically had to beg her to do so.

Then last night, Ben and I took a walk after dinner around the campground. Phyllis and her husband were sitting on their make-shift porch eating dinner. She started to ask us if we had eaten at the diner where they bought their hamburgers when she stopped herself and said, "That's right...you don't eat meat."

Then she proceeded to apologize yet again that she was eating meat and told us jokingly not to look at her huge 1lb. hamburger. Again I told her that she didn't need to apologize and left it at that.

She's not the only person that Ben and I have encountered who apologizes to us for the fact that THEY eat meat. All I ask of anyone is that they A) don't hold it against me that I do not eat meat and 2) don't prepare a meat dish for me and expect me to eat it.

I just can't figure out why carnivores feel the need to apologize to this Veg-Head?!? :-)

Thought Of The Day: "I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals. I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants." --A. Whitney Brown (i thought this was funny and just had to share!)

Until next time...peace, love & HEALTH!!!